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You can almost always find Spanish and Portuguese wines dumped on Pennsylvania and discounted because most U.S. consumers know little about these countries and the wine backs up in the distribution channel.

Tempranillo from Spain's Rioja region is a favorite of mine. Viña Zaco is a budget brand that delivers year after year and, in some places, is sold on sale for $10 and as low as $8. Rich and flavorful Viña Zaco 2011 Rioja smells of violets, with tastes of blackberry, earth, a hint of leather and rootbeer. $15. 4 stars.

For whites, reach for a Portuguese Vinho Verde or a Spanish albariño.

Enjoy sparkling wine with food: For most of us, the price of Champagne relegates it to celebrations and serious events. But sparkling wine can come from anywhere at almost any price point and it can be the perfect accompaniment to food. Look for brut, usually the driest category and meal worthy.

Cremant is quality sparkling wine from France made in the same painstaking process as Champagne, but available at less than half the price. Alsace, the Germanic part of eastern France, makes cremant from aromatic grapes such as riesling and pinot gris which gives René Muré Cremant d'Alsace a more accessible fruit-forward character. It starts with the smell of lemon candy with citrus flavors and a hint of apricot with a short finish. $22. 3½ stars

Consider sparkling wine with brunch and light meals such as salads. Prosecco or a Spanish Cava are fine and often less than $15 a bottle.

Drink more local wine: Local is hot and so are many local wines. Best is to find wines made close to home. Next best is to support wines produced in your state. Then look for wines from The Other 47 - non-West Coast states that produce wine. Give them a chance and find producers you enjoy and make them a permanent part of your wine rack. Within driving distance are some of my favorite wineries including Galen Glen, Nimble Hill, Pinnacle Ridge and Maiolatesi.

I recently picked up a bottle of one of the most talked about new Pennsylvania wineries, Karamoor Estate, a Port Washington winery founded by Philadelphia entrepreneurs and philanthropists Nicholas and Athena Karabots with a "no expense spared" approach. The wines show it. Karamoor Estate Chardonnay melds fruit character, spice and vanilla from French oak barrels. The wine tastes of apples with some butterscotch and wraps up with stiff acids. $28. 3½ stars

DAVID FALCHEK, a Times-Shamrock business writer, reviews wines each week. Contact him at dfalchek@timesshamrock.com or @wineTT on Twitter.

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